Baidu will begin testing its driverless taxis in Switzerland this December, as the Chinese company seeks to compete with Uber and Waymo in the autonomous ride-hailing market.
The large-scale trial will be conducted through Apollo Go, Baidu’s ride-hailing service, in partnership with PostBus, Switzerland’s national public transport operator.
Both partners plan to officially launch the service in early 2027 under the name “AmiGo.” The project will use Baidu’s Apollo RT6 model, a vehicle designed to resemble a conventional car but with a removable steering wheel.
For Baidu, which already operates one of the world’s largest driverless taxi networks in China, the move marks a significant step towards expanding into Europe.
Competition on the continent is expected to be fierce, with Waymo, owned by Alphabet, planning to start tests in London next year, while Uber also aims to trial its autonomous vehicles in the UK capital around the same time.
